


Moon Wrapped in Gold Paper

by larrymylove



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Lirry Cuteness, M/M, Miscommunication, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 18:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15690645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larrymylove/pseuds/larrymylove
Summary: Louis deadass just stared, willing himself to play it cool, to play it natural, to not look too shocked. So he lifted the apple to his lips and took a huge bite.His mouth, his entire life, his very soul instantly filled with regret.The roommate’s eyes widened in something akin to horror as Louis continued to chew the massive bite of red onion currently in his mouth.“Uh….”“Louis!” Liam called, coming down from the hallway and into the kitchen.Louis continued to chew the onion, trying to smile around his current mouthful of solid, rancid….“Is….that….an….onion?”The first time Louis meets Harry, several things go very wrong.





	Moon Wrapped in Gold Paper

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this post](http://wellingtontat.tumblr.com/post/177008586783/seahorseharry-detectivesonnshine) on tumblr, but with a twist.
> 
> Title inspired by the poem "Valentine" by Carol Ann Duffy.
> 
> This was just supposed to be a crack fic but somewhere along the line, I don't know what happened

Louis knew he maybe should have called before just popping in like he had, but since when had he ever been one to think that far ahead? Honestly, the whole thing was Liam’s fault. Louis figured he should probably just leave, but his determination to tell Liam off outweighed any and all logic. So he waited, leaning against the kitchen counter, listening to the noises coming from Liam’s bedroom down the hall. 

Louis knew Liam’s old college roommate had moved back into town recently, and that  Liam had offered him the spare bedroom. Apparently, however, there was a little bit more going on than just being roommates, if the noises were anything to go by. Louis’ eyes widened at a particularly loud squeal and maybe if it was anyone else other than Liam, he’d be impressed. But this was Liam. Lime. _Loam_. And Louis was going to give him a piece of his mind, as soon as they finished up whatever…... _activities_ were taking place behind the closed door.

Louis hadn’t met the roommate yet. Apparently they had been close friends at uni but lost touch after the roommate had transferred to study photography at some type of arts school. Louis didn’t know much else other than he’d contacted Liam on Instagram of all things - _who even DM’d on Instagram, honestly_ \- and had said he was looking for a place in the city and was wondering if Liam might know of anything. Two weeks later, he’d moved in. Louis had been busy with work and visiting family and hadn’t been by since Henry….Harold? Horton? Had moved in. Finally getting a break in his schedule, Louis had stopped by, unannounced, and had used the spare key under the mat to get inside. Liam should have taken the key from under there if he didn’t want Louis dropping by during whatever sexual escapades were taking place back there.

Fucking Liam.

Louis winced at his choice of words as another squeal resounded.

Then…..silence. 

_ Thank God. _

A few moments passed before the bedroom door opened. Louis tried to think on his feet. He grabbed for the fridge door and swung it open, quickly delving his attention into the contents of Liam’s fridge as footsteps sounded in the kitchen. Louis grabbed for something on the shelf, an apple, and closed the fridge, glancing up to see the most attractive man he’d ever seen in his entire life. 

_ Alright, Lima!! _

The boy was flush-faced, red-cheeked, and his eyes were watery and his lips were bitten red. His long brown curls messily framed his face and his smile brightened when he saw Louis. Louis felt as though his head was about to fall out of his arse. _This_ was Liam’s roommate? _This_ was who Liam was apparently fucking so well that he’d made _those_ noises? _This_ was who Liam was apparently fucking so well that his afterglow looked like _that_? Louis felt weak. 

“Uh…..hi,” the roommate gave a little wave.

Louis deadass just stared, willing himself to play it cool, to play it natural, to not look too shocked. So he lifted the apple to his lips and took a huge bite.

His mouth, his entire life, his very soul instantly filled with regret.

The roommate’s eyes widened in something akin to horror as Louis continued to chew the massive bite of red onion currently in his mouth. 

“Uh….”

“Louis!” Liam called, coming down from the hallway and into the kitchen. 

Louis continued to chew the onion, trying to smile around his current mouthful of solid, rancid....

“Is….that….an…. _onion_?” 

Louis was going to die. He was going to die right here on Liam’s kitchen floor, leaving him to deal with his corpse. Maybe he’d wind up haunting him. It’d serve Liam right, honestly. Louis quite enjoyed the idea of haunting Liam for all of eternity.

But, there were more pressing matters to consider at the moment.

Like the fact that he’d just bitten into a god damned onion as if it were a god damned apple.

The roommate was still looking on in shock.

Louis gulped the bite down his throat, impressed with the will it took not to rush to the tap and shove his mouth directly under the faucet. 

“So, Harry. This is Louis,” Liam said, giving Harry a little nudge.

Harry squirmed slightly and held out a hand to Louis.

“Nice to meet you,” he said.

Louis sat the onion - with a full bite taken out of it - down on the counter, and shook his hand, trying not to die on the spot.

 

++++

“YOU DID WHAT?”

“Niall, please stop yelling,” Louis pinched the bridge of his nose, “I already know how bad this is.”

“You bit it like a fucking apple.”

“Yes, Nialler. I was there. Remember?”

“I just…..an _apple_!”

Niall was lucky Louis loved him as much as he did, or he may have wound up with shaving cream in his toothpaste later for this.

Speaking of toothpaste; once he’d gotten home, he’d run to the bathroom and had brushed his teeth about twenty-eight times. Still the taste of red onion lingered. 

“Well I was trying to think on my feet! You should have heard them, Niall! It was…. _obscene_!”

“I didn’t think Liam was seeing anyone…..” Niall mused, smashing some keys on the controller and killing a zombie on screen. 

“Right? Apparently he is. I don’t know why the fucker would try to keep it a secret though. It’s not like they were trying to hide anything. I’m sure the neighbors down the street could hear them!”

“You’re being dramatic,” Niall paused the game and set the controller down on the coffee table, “Are you sure you’re like….not just letting your imagination run wild with this?”

Louis scoffed and poked Niall in the side with his toe. He was currently laying on the couch, sprawled out with his feet propped up on Niall, lamenting his woes, while Niall killed zombies and pretended to listen. Louis swore Niall was lucky he loved him so much. 

“I know what I saw. Or rather heard!”

“And then what happened?” Niall asked, turning to Louis - suddenly engrossed in the story, “You know, after you ate an entire fucking onion.”

“It wasn’t an entire…..it was _one_ bite! And nothing. Liam introduced me to him like this was a regular occurance of mine, just sat about chomping onions. And Harry - his name is Harry - kept staring at me as if I had three heads. It was _mortifying_ , Nialler! How am I supposed to face them again after that? It was hard enough to face them after hearing the sounds they were making! Or at rather, the sounds Harry was making. I swear to god, Niall, I’ve never even heard porn sound like that!”

“And you’re sure it was Harry and not Liam making the noises.”

Louis blanched, “Sweet mother of…..”

“I’m kidding,” Niall held up his hands, laughing, “Besides, you said Harry was the one with the afterglow. Which….is an entirely different conversation I’m wondering we should be having.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. It’s just….the fact that you were paying attention at all to Liam’s boyfriend’s afterglow….”

“You would be too if you saw him!” Louis kicked at Niall.

“Uh-huh….”

“He’s pretty, Niall. Like outrageously pretty. And no offence to Loam, but….it’s kind of mind-boggling.”

“You have a crush on Liam’s boyfriend.”

“I do not,” Louis huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Uh-huh. Right. All this time you’ve been making fun of Liam and his taste in men and he’s scored himself a gorgeous boy and you just can’t wrap your head around that can you? Bet it’s eating you alive.”

“Niall.”

“Probably like you did with that onion.”

Love him or not, Louis was going to kill him.

“Oh, I guess now would be a good time to tell you,” Niall grinned, “Liam invited us over for movies and pizza and beer Friday night. Wants to introduce us to Harry.”

“Fuck.”

“Mmhmm. I know it might be difficult, but try to control yourself. We’ll hide the onions.”

Louis hated him.

++++

 

Louis found himself on Friday night, standing outside Liam’s flat with Niall holding the beer they’d picked up as they waited for someone to come to the door. Niall had told Louis to just open it, but Louis wasn’t really in the mood to walk in on any more surprises. So he’d knocked and they were going to just have to stand there and wait.

Eventually the door opened and Liam looked between the two of them with a furrowed brow. “Why did you knock? You always just come in.”

“Not tonight we don’t,” Louis brushed past him, stripping off his peacoat and hanging it on the hook by the door, “So what are we watching tonight?”

“Harry’s insisting on _Titanic_.”

Niall gagged.

“I tried to talk him out of it, but it’s his first night hanging out with us, so I figure why not let him have pick of the movie. He says it’s his favorite.”

“God,” Niall grimaced.

Louis swallowed back a comment, and the urge to pinch Niall on the nipple. _Titanic_ was a damn good movie and Niall just didn’t appreciate the art of film. Or 90s Leo.

As if knowing he was being talked about, Harry popped up from the DVD player, waving excitedly and walking over to say hi. He was dressed in basketball shorts and a fitted white t-shirt, just like when Louis had first seen him. His cheeks weren’t as red, but there was a touch of pink and his eyes brightened excitedly as he held out a hand for Niall to shake.

“Hi, Niall! I’m Harry! It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too! Though we gotta do something about your tastes in movies, mate.”

Harry let out a cackle, doubling over at the waist and clapping a hand on Niall’s shoulder as if that were the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

“Just be glad I didn’t pick _Love Actually_ this time.”

Louis’ eyes widened, “You like _Love Actually_?”

“Oh no,” Niall turned to Liam, “What have we done?”

“It’s only like….the best movie of all time, Harry. Of course I like _Love Actually_.”

A dimple dug into Harry’s cheek, “It’s nice to see you again, Louis. If I’d had time to run to the store, I would have picked up some red onions for you. You’ll just have to settle for pizza tonight, I’m afraid.”

“Oi!” Louis turned to see the glint of something teasing in Harry’s eye. It made his stomach flip and he found his own cheeks heating just slightly.

Liam laughed and wrapped an arm around Harry, “C’mon. Pizza’s all ordered. Let’s start the movie and we can pause it when the delivery guy gets here. I don’t really feel like being up until the crack of dawn watching this freaking four hour long movie.”

“It’s not four hours,” Harry protested, bottom lip jutting out.

Louis and Niall followed behind the two of them, watching as Liam wrapped his arms around Harry’s middle and essentially walked him over to the living room. Niall plopped down on the floor in front of the couch, setting the beers down beside him. Liam sat on the couch with Harry beside him on the middle cushion. Louis took a breath before sitting down next to Harry, feeling very much like a third wheel especially when Harry nuzzled his face against Liam’s neck.

It wasn’t that Niall was right. But there was just something about Harry that made Louis so drawn to him. It’d started just as curiosity from the noises Louis had heard, but after laying his eyes on him, it was as if he was under some sort of spell. How else would he explain having taken a bite out of a god damned onion. But this was Liam’s boy, and Louis supposed he should be happy for him.

They seemed happy. Liam had his arms wrapped around Harry, hugging him against him as Harry nuzzled into his side and sighed contentedly. They were the picture of some sappy rom-com and Louis wished it didn’t make something sour coil in his stomach. He wanted to be happy for Liam, he really did. Liam had had shit luck in the dating scene for awhile now, and Louis had been hoping he’d find someone good. If anyone deserved to have someone good, it was certainly Liam. Not that Louis would ever admit that outloud. He did have a reputation, after all.

He told himself to just focus on the movie. He knew he was being ridiculous. Louis willed himself to just focus on the screen, focus on the fated story of love and destiny and tragedy and 90s Leo. He was actually impressed with himself when he found himself lost in the spell of the movie, only to feel a poke to his shoulder, pulling his attention back to Harry.

He turned to face the boy beside him and saw the goofy grin on Harry’s face. “Hi.”

“Hi?” Louis blinked, not really knowing what to do with that.

“I just remembered I forgot to tell Pizza Hut to put extra onions.”

Louis just blinked for a moment, not really knowing what else to do other than blink. Apparently Harry wasn’t going to drop it, and Louis was beginning to wonder if he’d ever live that down.

“Liam, your boy’s a shit,” Louis crossed his eyes at Harry who simply giggled.

“Who are you telling?” Liam asked, giving Harry a squeeze.

Harry smiled, satedly, and leaned back against Liam.

Louis shook his head, trying to return his focus to the movie.

When the pizza arrived not long later, they paused the movie and sat about fixing their slices and their beers, tucking into the paper plates on their laps as they nibbled their pizza and as Louis again, tried feebly to focus on the movie. 

Every little shift and movement Harry made, his arm or his leg would brush against Louis’ own, sending little sparks of electricity through him. There were butterflies in his stomach and he felt slightly dizzy in Harry’s presence. Harry was picking off the mushrooms from his slices and setting them on top of Liam’s slices and really, they were perfect for one another. Clearly they had good sexual chemistry, as Louis had been alarmingly introduced to earlier in the week. But they also just fed off another easily. They just….worked. And seemed to relaxed around one another. And Louis felt ridiculous. He felt like a stupid little kid with a stupid little crush.

On his best mate’s boyfriend.

Louis was the worst best mate in the entire world.

He didn’t even deserve to have a best mate at this rate.

He took another nibble of his pizza, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole and never come out.

Louis didn’t think things could get any worse. He’d been wrong.

Harry was, apparently, a crier. As soon as the ship hit the iceberg, Harry was already whimpering and ducking his head into Liam’s shoulder.

“Aww, sunshine,” Liam soothed, kissing his temple, “You knew this was coming.”

“I know,” Harry mumbled helplessly, “But it still gets me every time.”

And as soon as the husband and wife huddled together on their bed as their room began to flood, Harry’s waterworks really started up. Louis had to fight to keep from turning and pulling Harry against him and cuddling him up and soothing him through it. That was Liam’s job, not his. And Liam was doing a pretty fine job of it, it seemed. He was holding Harry close against him, kissing the side and back of his head, stroking his hand through his curls. And at the end of the movie, when Harry was completely sobbing and frustratedly wiping away tears, as Louis tried to stealthily wipe away his own, Liam held him even closer.

“Shh….it’s okay, bub. It’s all okay.”

Harry pulled back slightly, bottom lip jutting out and quivering. Louis needed to make himself scarce. He quickly and quietly tried to gather up the paper plates and beer bottles as Liam continued to sooth Harry, eventually flat out saying, “Sunshine, I’m serious. If I don’t see a smile in the next three seconds I’ll tickle one out of you.”

Louis blanched, grabbing the rest of the bottles with Niall’s help, and all but bolting towards the kitchen.

“Shit,” Niall muttered, helping Louis to put the plates and bottles in a trash bag, “You’ve got it bad.”

“Fuck off,” Louis gritted through his teeth, taking a swig of the last of the beer from one of the bottles before tossing into the bag along with the other garbage. He secretly wondered if it’d been Harry’s bottle. Secretly hoped it had been.

Louis was the worst friend in the entire world.

++++

_**“Come help. Cupcake emergency!!”** _

Louis stared at the text on his phone, blinked, then stared again. It wasn’t strange that he’d gotten Harry’s number, Niall had it as well. After about the third week of them all hanging out together, Harry had become a member of their little group, and it was absolutely not weird or unusual at all for Louis to have his number.

What was weird and unusual though was Harry texting him.

What was weird and unusual was Harry texting him asking him to come help, and something about a cupcake emergency.

Louis thought about shutting off his phone, setting it aside for the rest of the day, and texting back later claiming to have not seen the original message until then. But what if Harry had those read receipts. Louis didn’t want to look like a dickhead. But at the same time, why was Harry texting him about this in the first place?

Louis set his phone down and told himself to just ignore it. He ignored Niall’s texts plenty of times. And Liam’s too. He could ignore Harry’s as well.

But something began to nag at him, and before he could stop himself, not only had he grabbed his phone from the counter, but he had also headed out the door and was arriving at Liam and Harry’s flat. 

When he knocked on the door, before he had a chance to change his mind and book it back down the street, Harry answered. He was in his usual basketball shorts and soft t-shirt, this time with a bandana wrapped around his head, pinning the curls back, and he looked to have icing sugar on his cheek. Louis swore this boy was going to be the death of him. Harry Styles must be punishment for something he’d done in a past life.

“Hiii,” Harry waved in that ridiculously precious way he did.

“Hi,” Louis waved back, “So….cupcake emergency?”

“Yes!” Harry opened the door wider, letting Louis in, and leading him to the kitchen, “So Liam had to go visit his grandmother at the last minute, and I’d made cupcakes and I might have misread the recipe and made too many. I was wondering if you’d help me ice them, and maybe take the leftovers ot share with Niall.”

“Oh,” Louis blinked, already feeling as though he were in dangerous waters.

It’d been about a month since he’d first met Harry, and if anything, his feelings for him had only gotten worse. He’d tried to distance himself, but it seemed every time he tried, Harry would strengthen his efforts to be friendly. And now here they were, alone together for the first time. And Liam was off with his grandmother and Louis was the worst person in the entire universe for wanting nothing more than to lick the icing sugar from Harry’s cheek.

“If….if that’s alright, I mean. I maybe should have asked a bit nicer first.”

“No, no,” Louis shook himself from his thoughts, “Just….tell me where you want me.”

Harry pointed over to a glass mixing bowl filled with chocolate icing, “I’ll pop out the cupcakes and hand them off to you to ice. Just make sure it’s all even, and then we can put sprinkles on them if we want. I have rainbow sprinkles!”

“What would life be without rainbow sprinkles,” Louis mused, using a spatula to spread the icing on top of one of the cupcakes.

“Very, very dark and sad,” Harry dimpled, handing him another.

It was easy, the way the slotted against one another, working in the kitchen together as a little team, to ice and decorate the cupcakes. Louis’ mouth was watering at the smell of chocolate, but he couldn’t help but be more focused on the boy beside him than on the cupcakes in front of him. Harry hummed as he worked, having taken out the first batch from the tray and was currently filled the slots with a second round of batter. He hummed 80s music, and Louis wished to heaven and back he didn’t find that as endearing as he did.

In the last three weeks, he’d learned more about Harry than he’d ever wanted to know. He learned he loved old music and that he loved to dance. He knew that he loved pink roses and had to take a bubble bath every night, to Liam’s dismay. He preferred chocolate to vanilla and had an older sister and a cat back home, and that he’d gotten into photography because his grandmother had bought him a cameras as a child and he’d fallen in love.

It seemed as though with each new thing Louis learned, he only fell even harder.

And he was at a complete and total loss.

This was uncharted territory. He had never had a crush on a mate’s boyfriend before, and the worst things got, the more sleazy Louis felt. He knew he wasn’t being fair to Liam, and he knew that it was horrible of him to not be completely over the moon at the thought of Liam having someone as good as Harry in his life. 

Niall had been pestering him to just talk to Liam, but how could he? How could he ever try to explain to Liam that he felt these things for his own boyfriend? Liam would hate him. Or worse, not hate him, and actually be kind and understanding and sweet about the whole thing. Harry had a dab of chocolate on his nose and Louis wanted again, to lick it off. He certainly did not deserve kindness and understanding and sweetness from Liam.

Louis made small talk while they finished the cupcakes and after Harry had packed some away for him to take home, he’d made some excuse of needing to get back. It wasn’t safe to be alone with Harry. Louis didn’t entirely trust himself.

“Oh,” Harry’s face practically crumbled and Louis tried to tell himself he was just letting his imagination run wild, “Well, okay then.”

“I’ll see you around,” Louis headed towards the door as Harry followed behind.

“Thank you for coming over,” he said, chewing on his bottom lip as Louis tugged his coat over his shoulders, “I mean, I know you didn’t have to, but it means a lot that you did and um…..well. Get home safe.”

Louis felt nauseous as he nodded and headed out the door without another word.

++++

After what Louis had dubbed, _The Cupcake Incident_ , he made a more concentrated effort to ignore Harry. He knew he was probably being a bit mean, but truly he had no other options. He needed to distance himself from Harry Styles, and focus his mind on other things. He needed distractions. Once he’d broken from this haze of Harry, Harry, Harry, things would be all cleared up. He could move on and maybe even come to peace with Liam and Harry being together. They were quite cute after all, always cuddling up and petting and being sweet. It’d be sickening if Louis didn’t love Liam as much as he did.

But still, he couldn’t help the feeling of nausea that swept up every time he was around them. All he wanted to do was to be the one holding Harry in his arms, to be the one to make him laugh and to pet his curls. And Louis knew he was being selfish and childish. Liam mean the world to him. He was his best mate and Louis would do anything in the world for Liam, including the hardest thing he ever had to do - separate himself from Harry.

When the four of them would hang out, Louis made an active choice to distance himself from Harry, focusing his attention on Liam and Niall and still being pleasant to the boy with the dimples and pretty green eyes, though nothing more than just civil pleasantries. Harry seemed to catch on, eventually. At first, he would still make an active effort around Louis, his face crumbling whenever Louis would pull away. Until eventually, he just stopped trying. And Louis thought maybe, just maybe, peace and balance had been restored.

Until one night when he and Niall had gone over for another movie night. Liam was pulling up Netflix as they headed inside, and Harry was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s H?” Niall eventually asked, flopping down onto the couch.

“He’s in his room for the night. Said he doesn’t want to be an intrusion.”

“The fuck does that mean?” Niall sat up, offended, “He’s always hung out with us!”

“He just isn’t feeling up for it tonight, I guess,” Liam’s gaze lingered on Louis and Louis felt ill, “We can just go ahead and start up a movie. I’ll save some pizza for him to have later.”

“We’ve been all hanging out for like the last few months,” Niall grumbled, “What does he mean ‘bloody intrusion.’ He’s always welcome!”

“That’s what I told him,” Liam sat down on the couch, shoving Niall’s feet over and making room for Louis to come join.

Louis begrudgingly sat next to Liam, trying not to think about the guilt that swarmed in his stomach. This couldn’t be because of him, could it? Of course it was. Who else would have made Harry feel unwelcomed. It was Louis. It had been Louis to ignore him and brush him aside and it was Louis who made Harry feel like an intrusion in his own flat, around his own boyfriend. Louis felt sick.

“Well try again!” Niall pouted, “He’s fun and I hate the thought of him being alone in there.”

“I did,” Liam looked helplessly to Louis, “Maybe you should be the one to talk to him.”

“ _Me_?” This couldn’t be happening.

“Yeah, you. Things were okay until you started being all weird around him.”

“Liam, look….I don’t know if that’s the best….”

“Just go talk to him, please Lou. For me?”

Louis wished he’d just stayed home. This couldn’t be happening. Did Liam really expect him to go sort this out? Louis had no idea what to even say or do.

As if reading his mind, Liam said, “Starting with an ‘I’m sorry’ never hurt.”

Louis withered. He stood from the couch and headed towards Harry’s room. The door was shut and he could hear the soft sounds of Fleetwood Mac coming from Harry’s turntable. Louis took a deep breath before raising his fist to the door and knocking. Do this for Liam, fix this for Liam. And for Harry. Fix this for them both.

A soft little voice called from the other side, “Come in.”

It was now or never. Louis gripped the door knob and took another deep breath before heading inside. Closing the door behind him, he realized he’d never been in Harry’s room before - not since he’d moved in. It was smaller than Liam’s room, and minimally decorated but had dark curtains on the windows and fairy lights wrapped around the iron headboard. Harry was sitting on his bed, cross legged and flipping through a magazine. When he saw Louis, he glanced up, confusion and hurt clouding his face.

“Harry….”

“What do you want, Louis? Pretending I exist today?”

Louis winced, “I deserve that. I’ve been a jerk, Harry….”

“I just don’t understand,” Harry sat the magazine aside, “What did I do to you, Louis? It seemed like we were friends and then….you started acting so cold to me. I don’t understand what I did.”

Louis’ heart shattered into a million pieces, “Harry….no. No, love. You didn’t do anything wrong. Trust me. It’s not….it’s not you who has been the problem. It’s me, Harry. I’ve been such an arsehole to you and I’m sorry. I….I don’t even know how to explain myself. It’s just….it’s hard. But we don’t want you to be in here alone, darling. Come out and join us for the movie. Liam is missing you.”

“Liam can fuck off,” Harry folded his arms over his chest, looking very much like a petulant child.

“Whoa, what’s happened? Trouble in paradise?” Louis gingerly sat down on the edge of Harry’s bed, half expecting him to kick him off.

“Ha,” Harry rolled his eyes, “He just….he keeps filling my head with these hopes that aren’t even true or real or whatever.”

“I’m sure he just is trying to cheer you up, Harry. And I know he cares very deeply for you.”

“If he cared so deeply he wouldn’t keep pushing me into something that’s so useless. He keeps saying to give it a chance and not to give up and to keep trying, even when you push me away. But you always push me away. And i’m just….I want to be done. I’m tired of being pushed away. You are so cold to me sometimes, Louis. And I just….I can’t do it.”

“Wait….what are you talking about?”

“I wanted us to be friends, Lou. At the very least, friends. And I can’t even have that. And Liam says not to give up, and that it’ll all work out. But it hurts too much. You hurt too much.”

“Harry,” Louis froze, “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t even know,” Harry tugged angrily at a thread on his duvet, “I’m not making any sense. Nothing about any of this is making any sense.”

“Alright,” Louis spoke slowly, “Well, Liam just wants us to all get along. And I want that too. I can’t….I can’t explain to you why I’ve been the way I’ve been lately, but I do want you to come out and watch something with us. We can even put on Love Actually! I’m sorry I hurt you, Harry. I’ve been awful and cold and that’s not me. I wish I could explain to you, but I can’t. But I do want us to be friends, okay?”

“Friends?”

“Friends,” Louis smiled, swallowing the lump that had crept up into the back of his throat. “Now then, come watch a movie with us.”

Harry seemed to be thinking it over, and Louis could practically hear the cogs turn in his head before he finally nodded and pushed himself up off the bed.

“Okay then.”

“Great,” Louis held the door open for Harry and they headed back out to the living room. Harry sunk down on the couch in his usual middle cushion with Louis on one side and Liam on the other. Niall leaned back against Louis’ shins and Liam pressed PLAY. From a distance, everything looked fine; but Louis could tell Harry wasn’t paying attention to the movie. Liam was engrossed, shoveling popcorn in his mouth and oggling Chris Pratt right there in front of Harry. And Harry simply tucked into himself, hugging his legs to his chest and resting his chin on his knees. He looked small and lonely and Louis wanted to yell at Liam for not paying attention to him, for not cuddling into him and holding him through whatever it was that was bothering him.

Louis took a breath, knowing Liam was too engrossed in the movie to pay them any mind anyway, and reached up and pinched a soft brown curl between his fingers. A small smile teased Harry’s lips and Louis leaned back against the couch, thinking at least a small smile was better than nothing.

++++

Louis spent the next few months playing the part of “friend” to Harry. They got along well and could make each other laugh, and Louis no longer was cold and distant from him. Instead, he allowed Harry to be clingy and sweet and lovely; resigning himself to the knowledge that Harry was pretty much like that with everyone. It wasn’t anything special when Harry would curl up beside Louis or when he’d put his feet in his lap or when he’d grab Louis’ hands and put them in his hair, silently demanding Louis to play with his curls. They were just friends, and Harry was like that with Niall too. It didn’t mean anything. And Louis accepted that being friends at least with Harry, was better than being nothing with Harry. He’d take the friendship and the cuddles that meant nothing over coldness and no cuddles that meant nothing.

A week before Christmas, Liam announced they should all have a little get together and have spiked eggnog and Christmas music and decorate the tree Harry had picked out together before all going their separate ways for the Holiday. So Louis and Niall headed over, packages tucked under their arms and snowflakes in their hair. When they got to the flat however, things were less than cheery.

There was Christmas music coming from a speaker and the entire flat smelled of cinnamon candles, but standing in the middle of the living room, Liam and Harry were having quite the spat. Niall closed the door a little loudly, drawing their attention to them. Liam cleared his throat and made his way over for hugs and welcomes.

“There’s eggnog and wine in the kitchen and Harry’s about to put something in the oven….”

“Brie, Liam. _Brie_. And it’d have already been in the oven and done if you hadn’t forgot to pick it up earlier this evening and if I hadn’t had to run to Tesco in the snow,” Harry’s voice was clipped and frustration flashed in his eyes - a stark contrast to the blue skinny jeans and soft UGGs and massive, floppy jumper with Rudolph on the front, light up nose and all.

“Not my fault you forgot to put it on the list,” Liam muttered, grabbing a corkscrew and beginning to open a bottle of wine.

“I….forgot? To put it….on the list? Liam it was right there! Right between candy canes and eggnog. Both of which you managed to remember. This is my special brie recipe and you couldn't even handle picking up a thing of brie! But you managed to pick up Batman candy canes! God knows you can’t have Christmas without god damned Batman candy canes!”

Louis and Niall glanced to one another, not really knowing what to do, or what to say. They’d seen Liam and Harry squabble before, but nothing quite like this. 

“But of course,” Liam grinned, winking to Niall and Louis, “Don’t you know the Christmas story H? The shepherds and the wiseman and the sheep and the camels and…. _The Batman_ ,” Liam said in classic Batman gravelly diction.

Niall snorted and Louis would have found it funny too if Harry’s eyes hadn’t flashed anger and if his cheeks hadn’t darkened, “Fuck you, Liam.”

“Fuck you too. Please, let me know when you’re tantrum is up so the rest of us can enjoy our get-together.”

Harry let out a huff and stormed off towards his room. Moments later, a door slammed shut.

“Jesus,” Niall chuckled awkwardly.

“Sorry,” Liam poured a glass of wine, “He’s being a brat today.”

Something twisted inside Louis, but he swallowed it down with the wine Liam handed to him.

“His flight got mixed up and he found out earlier today that he’s arriving back in Cheshire on Christmas Eve instead of the day before, and apparently that’s enough to call for an entire meltdown. Fuck,” Liam downed a glass of wine, “I needed this. Louis, go talk to him. He listens to you!”

“What?” Frustration flashed through him, “Liam, it’s not my job to go fix whatever problems you’re having between you.”

“He listens to you! He doesn’t listen to me. Ever! In fact, I think he makes it his life mission to just tune me out sometimes.”

“What….what are you saying?” Louis asked, suddenly defensive. 

“Oh, nothing,” Liam took another sip of wine, “It’s just one of those days. You know the type. When every little thing your sibling does gets under your skin and you just want to slug them?”

“Wait….sibling?” Louis blinked. Nothing about any of this was making any sense.

“Yeah,” Liam laughed, setting the glass aside and checking the oven, “We’ll be at each other’s throats one minute and the next he’ll miss cuddles too much to hold a grudge and everything will be back to normal. You get it, Lou. You’ve got oodles of younger siblings.”

Louis blinked again, brain not quite catching up with the words Liam was saying.

“Go talk to him. He listens to you. He….just talk to him. If you can’t pull him out of this strop, no one can.”

Louis still didn’t understand. All he knew was that Harry was upset and he wanted to fix it. And for some reason, Liam had just handed him permission. Louis took a deep breath and headed towards Harry’s room. He knocked on the door and waited for a response before going inside. Harry was sitting at his desk, playing solitaire on his computer.

“I didn’t even know computers still had solitaire on them.”

Harry turned, blinking, “If computers in like, 1997 could have solitaire on them, of course computers today can have solitaire.”

“Liam’s being a dick.”

“Yeah well, what else is new,” Harry clicked and moved a card, “I swear sometimes I want to smack him. Can you believe he forgot my brie! My brie, Louis!”

“Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s brie?”

Harry let out a groan and Louis chuckled, “I’m kidding, babe. I’m kidding.”

“You and Liam are the perfect pair! Both annoying as hell. I can see why you’re best mates. To be honest,” Harry took a little breath, going back to his game, “I used to be so jealous of you. When we first reconnected when I moved here. I mean, he’d talk about you all the time. And he was my best friend too, years ago. Still is. But I can definitely see what makes what the two of you have so special.”

“I’m glad you two found each other again,” Louis sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Harry’s desk, “And I know he can be frustrating, but it probably was just an honest mistake on his part. This is just a fight, you’ll work through it.”

Harry giggled. Actually giggled.

“We fight every day. Of course we’ll work through it. Like he said, I’m being a brat. Give me a good ten or so more minutes to strop about it, and then we’ll be back to normal.”

“You fight every day?”

“I mean, we’re like cats and dogs some days. It’s kind of like…..our thing? We’ll annoy the shit out of each other and can’t stand each other one minute and then the next, we go back to being the best of brothers.”

“ _Brothers_?” Louis suddenly felt the room close in. 

“Yeah, of course. I’m sure you feel that way about Niall, right? I heard about the mayo in his shampoo that one time. If I didn’t completley suck at pranks, I’d have to try something like that with Liam. But I know I’d end up giving it away.”

Maybe it was the wine he’d had in the kitchen, but for some reason, the first and only thought that came into Louis’ head, he blurted out, “But Niall and I aren’t fucking.”

Harry choked. Actually choked and for a moment, Louis wondered if he’d have to do some sort of medical maneuver, until he realized his choking had turned into giggles.

“Well neither are Liam and I, thank fucking god.”

“I….I don’t understand?” 

“What’s there to not understand?” Harry hopped up on the bed beside Louis, “It’s like if I suggested you and Niall were getting it on. How does that make you feel?”

“Oh…. _god_ ,” Louis blanched.

“Exactly,” Harry snickered before sobering, “Wait….did you honestly….you didn’t think that….”

Louis winced.

“Oh my god. You did!”

“Well what was I supposed to think?” Louis huffed, “The first time I came over he was fucking you so good you were squealing,.”

“Oh….my….god,” Harry turned bright pink, “Lou….he wasn’t…..no.”

“I’ve never heard anyone sound like that before in my life. I….I only assumed….”

“Louis,” Harry shook his head, averting his gaze to the duvet as he tugged at some of the threads, “We weren’t….he wasn’t…..he wasn’t fucking me. He was tickling me.”

“What?”

Harry squirmed, blushing even harder, “It’s like….what we do. I piss him off, he chases me around and wrestles me and tickles me until I apologize. He wasn’t….we weren’t….. _oh god!_ ”

“So you weren’t….you aren’t…..”

Harry shook his head, “God no. No, no, no, no.”

“But….the squealing…..the begging…..”

Harry flushed a deeper shade of red, “I’m ticklish,” he said, meekly.

“So all this time….I thought you were with Liam….”

“Apparently.”

“Oh god.”

“Yeah.”

“No. No, you don’t…. _oh fuck_ , Harry.”

Harry’s brows pulled together and he glanced up from the duvet, “What?”

“I….I’ve liked you. I’ve had this massive, hopeless crush on you and I felt so guilty for it because I thought you were with Liam. I felt terrible and awful and I tried to push you away because I felt so guilty.”

“Wait….that’s….that’s why you acted like that?”

Louis nodded, “I thought if I pushed you away, it’d make things easier and I could get over you. But the longer we were around each other, the more I fell for you.”

“I’ve had the biggest crush on you and Liam keeps telling me to just go for it and ask you out, but you always seemed so distant and I was worried if I did, you’d say no and I didn’t think….I still don’t think…..my heart could take that.”

“Oh my god.”

A smile tugged at Harry’s mouth, “You’re telling me.”

“I don’t want to waste any more time.”

“Then kiss me, you fool.”

While Louis and Harry were partially making up for lost time in the few moments they had before Liam or Niall would come looking, Liam was explaining everything to Niall who had been equally confused. When Harry and Louis finally emerged from Harry’s room, Liam pulled Harry into a hug and kissed his forehead. For the first time since meeting Harry, seeing that between the two of them genuinely made Louis feel only happiness. 

The four of them gathered around the tree to begin decorating when a knock sounded at the door.

“Well, this was good timing to get it all out in the open,” Liam announced, “Because that’s Zayn and we met at work recently and he’s very cute and I like him very much  a lot, no offense to you, babydoll,” Liam teased, kissing Harry’s cheek exaggeratedly, “But I’m afraid we just can’t be together anymore.”

“You cheatin’ bastard!” Harry giggled, swatting at Liam as Liam hurried to go answer the door.

“I can’t believe you thought these two were getting it on,” Niall nudged Louis.

“You thought so too!” Louis defended, “It wasn’t just me!”

“Uh-huh. Whatever you say,” Niall smirked.

Liam introduced everyone to Zayn and Harry got his brie put into the oven, and after the tree was decorated, the five of them sat around to open gifts - Zayn tucked against Liam’s side and Harry practically koalaed to Louis’. Niall grinned, happily watching the couples as he passed out the gifts they had all bought for each other.

When Louis opened his gift from Harry - beautifully wrapped in gold paper with a little bow stuck on - and saw what was inside, he didn’t think twice.

“You think you’re so funny, do you?” 

Harry giggled, nodding unabashedly. 

“You still gonna think you‘re so funny when I catch you and kiss the absolute hell out of you?” Louis asked, taking a massive bite from the red onion in his hand. Harry squealed, hopping up and darting to his room with Louis hot on his heels.

“They’re so fucking weird,” Niall chuckled, sipping his eggnog.

“Those the two you’ve been trying to get together for the last few months?” Zayn asked, tipping his head up to Liam.

“Yup. Both of them ridiculous. A match made in heaven.”

++++

 

Outside Harry’s room, Louis could hear the music switch off and the familiar sounds of a video game start up as Liam, Zayn, and Niall laughed and shouted threats of kicking one another’s arses at Mario. Louis chuckled, looking down at the boy he had pinned beneath him on the bed. Harry was breathless beneath him, eyes blown and red lips parted as if begging for more kisses, which they both knew he’d get.

“Did you really give me an onion for Christmas?”

“Did you really take a bite out of an onion like it was an apple when we first met?”

“Forgive me for my lapse in brain function; there was just the most beautiful boy had ever seen standing in front of me with, what I was assuming, was afterglow. My brain can’t be blamed for short-circuiting.”

“Mmm. And what will you be eating when you see my actual afterglow, Tomlinson?”

Louis face-palmed into Harry’s chest, “I genuinely can’t tell if you said that in all seriousness or not. And for the record, you’re the best Christmas gift I could have ever gotten.”

“Well for the record, your _actual_ gift is sitting over there on my desk,” Harry nodded towards a small red envelope Louis hadn’t seen before, “But I suppose I’m not too shabby, huh?”

Louis shut him up with kisses.

Inside the red envelope would be an extra ticket to Doncaster. Harry had purchased it in hopes of everything working out in time for the holiday. Louis would accept it with tears in his eyes; though years later, when their kids would ask what their first Christmas gifts to each other were, Louis would tell them their Daddy had gotten him an onion. 

“Ew, you’re _so_ weird!” Ophelia Rose shook her head.

“Yup!” Louis grinned proudly, “When I met your Daddy, I was so smitten with him the moment I laid eyes on him, that I bit straight out of an onion like it was an apple.”

“Pappa, you two are _so_ disgusting!” Jo-Anne Gemma rolled her eyes.

“Great,” Harry shook his head, fighting back a giggle once their girls were out of earshot, “That’s just what they needed to hear - that you were so turned on by me you ate an onion.”

“Hey! I kept it PG! And who said I was turned on by you?’

“Shut up and kiss me,” Harry rolled his eyes.

Louis grinned, pulling Harry close, fingers through his belt loops “Don’t make me find an onion first.”  
  
  



End file.
